October 20, 1870. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



319 



purity of ground colour, and accurate and distinct pencilling, 

 in every part, except head and neck — count three and four re- 

 spectively. The difference in markings between the Spangled 

 and Pencilled varieties call for a separate classification of points. 

 In the Gold and Silver-spangled Hamburghs, then, the comb, 

 deaf ear, breast, under parts of body and thighs, wings and bars, 

 symmetry, and condition, of the cocks should each number two, 

 and colours and marking of head, hackle, back, saddle and tail 

 three; whilst in the hen, combs, deaf ear, bars, symmetry, and 

 condition count two. Neck most distinctly and evenly striped, 

 one. Remainder of plumage (except tail in Golden) clearness 

 of ground colour, evenness and distinctness of spangling, with 

 rich, large, round spangles, four. In the Black Hamburghs, 

 plumage and Bhape each count four ; comb, head, and face, 

 three ; deaf ear and condition, each two. 



The Polish variety are not of recent days nearly so nume- 

 rous as they at one time were. A really excellent specimen 

 we have not for some time seen. The exhibitors of this breed 

 will not, therefore, have so many competitors to contend 

 against ; they ought not, however, on that account to be the 

 less careful in the selection of their exhibition birds. There 

 are three acknowledged varieties, White-crested Black, and 

 Gold and Silver-spangled. In each of the three varieties, size of 

 crest and shape of crest each count three ; symmetry and con- 

 dition, each two. The other points, however, differ. In the 

 White-crested Black riohest black plumage counts two; deaf ear, 

 one ; and crest of the purest white, and most free from black, two. 

 The remaining points in the other two varieties are — colour 

 ■of crest, one ; plumage accurately marked according to the 

 "Standard" rules, two; purity of ground colour, one; bars, one. 

 We are glad to see the French breeds of fowls increasing in 

 popular esteem, and that an additional class has been assigned 

 them this year at our provinical fair. There are of this class 

 of fowls three recognised breeds — Houdans, Creve-Coeurs, and 

 La Fleche. To the Houdans are allotted six points, which 

 count as follows : — Size four ; crest four ; symmetry, plumage, 

 and condition, each two ; five claws, one. The Crcve-Cceur 

 have also six points of excellence — viz., size four; crest and 

 colour three each; shape, symmetry and condition two each ; 

 comb one. 



TheLaFieche have five points given them — size, five ; comb, 

 shape, and condition, each three ; deaf ear, one. 



Game Bantams are seldom exhibited at our dhows. Their 

 points are seven — smallness of size, shape of head and neck, 

 of body and wings, of tail, of thighs, legs and toes, and con- 

 dition, each two ; colour, three. Sebright Bantams, Gold and 

 Silver-laced, plumage moat evenly and distinctly laced through- 

 out counts four. Purity of ground colour in Silver, and rich- 

 ness and clearness of ground colour in Golden, comb, small- 

 ness, symmetry, condition and general appearance, each two; 

 tail, one. Black and White Bantams are judged by one stan- 

 dard — purity of white, or richness of black; smallness and 

 symmetry each count three ; while comb, deaf ear, condition, 

 and general appearance count two each. 



In Turkeys, size, symmetry, and colour are the leading 

 characteristics of birds for a show pen ; while the same may 

 be said of Ducks and Geese, with the exception of Black East 

 Indian and Call Ducks, in which smallness of size is the chief 

 feature. 



Exhibitors should also bear in mind that to each distinctive 

 breed are attached certain disqualifications, which birds selected 

 for exhibition ought to be free from. 



CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY AND PIGEON 



EXHIBITION. . . 

 This, to be held on the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th of December, 

 ought to be largest and most successful of the year. For 

 poultry there are eighteen silver cups, or pieces of plate, vary- 

 ing in value from five to six guineas, in addition to the three 

 money prizes in each class, of £3, 30s., and 10s. For the 

 Pigeons there are seventeen silver cups, or pieces of plate, 

 varying in value from five to three guineas, in addition to the 

 three prizes in each class of 30s., 20s., and 10s. 



Mr. Dowsett, £1 Is. ; Mr. Pares, £1 Is. ; Mr. Rodbard, 10s. ; 

 Mrs. Turner Turner, £1 Is. ; Mr. Crowley, £1 Is.; Mr.Worthing- 

 ton, 10s. ; Mr. Seccombe, 5s. ; Mr. Chisman, 5s. ; Miss Harvey, 

 13s. Total, £10 10s. Mr. Dowsett has collected six guineas for 

 a piece of plate, which will be awarded to the best pen of Light 

 Brahmas at the next Birmingham Show. — H. M. Maynaed. 



I beg to call your readers' attention to the faot, that there is 

 a Game cup, value five guineas, to be awarded to the best pen 

 of any variety of Game. I should remind them that the entries 

 close on the 20th inst. — S. Samwats, Bevois Town Hotel, South- 

 ampton. 



INQUIRY. 

 In your impression of the 6th of October there is an adver- 

 tisement from one who signs himself J. Punshon, Downe Street, 

 Driffield, and who represents himself as having 150 head of prize 

 poultry for sale. Being in want of some Cochins I was induced 

 to go over to find the man, but failed to do so, as I am assured 

 there is no such person in Driffield. Report pointed to a person 

 who, under this name, is endeavouring to sell some very infe- 

 rior stuff, and whose hen-roosts are full of several kinds of 

 disease. I merely write this as a caution to others whose 

 time, like my own, is too precious to spend a whole day in 

 searching for a man unknown in the neighbourhood he is said 

 to live in. If people wish to dispose of their poultry, surely 

 they should give a proper address. — East Yobeshtee. 



RABBITS AT THE COMING YORK SHOW. 

 I congeatulate the Committee on the attractive prize list 

 they have issued, and trust it will find favour in the eyes of all 

 Rabbit- fanciers, and induce them to send numerous entries, so 

 that the York Exhibition of this year may be as far superior 

 in number of entries and excellence of specimens as it exceeds 

 all previous years in the liberality of the prizes offered. It is 

 not often we find two five-guinea cups and a Bilver medal given 

 for Rabbits, yet such is the case at York. The medal is from 

 the neighbouring county (Lancashire), and I am glad to see 

 this kindly feeling and interest manifested in such a manner 

 by the fanciers, and I do hope to see more evidence of such 

 feeling. I am not yet able to state the name of the Judge, but 

 can assure all exhibitors that a good judge of Rabbits will 

 award the prizes ; and a full report in this Journal of his 

 awards, and the particulars of excellence of each prizewinner, will 

 be given by a gentleman well known for his ability to assume 

 that office. Thus the Committee are doing all they can to add 

 to the attractiveness of the Rabbit section of the Exhibition, 

 and I am aware that a large number of entries will crown their 

 efforts. There are eight classes for Rabbits, and the small 

 two-shilling entry fee, and the good £1 and 15s. as first prizes, 

 I think will induce a liberal response. — Cuniculus. 



SOUTHAMPTON POULTRY SHOW. 



You announced my intention of collecting subscriptions for 



Light Brahma cups to be given at this Show. The following 



is the result of that collection :— Mr. Hickman, £1 Is. ; Mrs. 



Williamson, £1 Is.; Mr. Crook, 10s.; Mr. Maynard, £1 Is.; 



HOW TO REMEDY THE DEFECTS IN 

 BELL-SHAPED BEE-GLASSES. 



Happening to be at a dinner party lately, the conversation 

 turned upon bees, and two or three of the company made re- 

 marks to the effect that very few Bwarms had been seen on the 

 wing this season ; whereupon a rich merchant, just returned 

 from Burmah, stated that the country was quite overstocked 

 with these honey-gatherers, and that no complaints aB to 

 swarms or their produce had ever been made in former days, 

 when only a hive or two could be found here and there in a 

 district. 



Being anxious to hear the sage remarks of the returned fo- 

 reigner, I inquired on what grounds he concluded the country 

 was overstocked ? To this he replied that it required an acre of 

 pasture ground to maintain a cow, and that it would require the 

 same extent of territory to maintain a bee. There was nothing, 

 he added, to prevent a single bee from visiting and extracting all 

 the honey from every flower within the space referred to during 

 the season. It never once occurred to him that nectaries 

 emptied one day might be replenished the next, or that periods 

 might happen when supplies would be so abundant as to be all 

 but inexhaustible. These facts I endeavoured to make appa- 

 rent, but I fear without success. The mention of the dis- 

 coveries made by Dzierzon was received with something more 

 than a smile of incredulity, and I could not help thinking that 

 my situation bore a striking resemblance to that of an old 

 I clergyman near Silloth, and a genuine son of Erin. A friend 



